A Miko Mother
by MangaFreak15
Summary: Kagome was assigned to be Hiei and Yukina's new guardian after they are born, but after the final battle she disappears... leaving them to find her again, 500 years in the future. Rewriting
1. Prologue: An Interesting Proposition

**A MIKO MOTHER**

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**Prologue: An Interesting Proposition**

* * *

Centuries before the coming of the modern age, it was once prophesized that a being of great power would appear during the country's darkest era. That being would conquer a creature of great malice that had oozed its evil all across the land, destroying everything in its path to obtain the highest level of power. And once that evil had been vanquished, the being would disappear. It was a mythical tale that was passed from generation to generation, its legacy fading with every pass, until it existed as a mere fairytale told to the young children before their bedtimes. No one believed in it, no one thought of it as more than a wives' folktale - until it came to life with a wrathful rush.

Tearing through the land was the demon known as _Naraku_, the pitiful but vengeful half-breed born out of Onigumo's despicable desire for the priestess known as Kikyo. He shredded her body, destroyed her life, turned her against her most beloved - and yet, he would be unable to completely eradicate her, for her soul rose up against all the odds and led her broken body into its final dance. Her lover Inuyasha was pinned to a tree, where he would sleep undisturbed for half a century before being accidentally rescued by a clumsy human female from a modern age 500 years into the future. As they progressed through their journey together, joined by the fox child Shippou, the lecherous monk Miroku, and the demon slayer Sango along with her faithful two-tailed cat Kirara, they sought to defeat the great evil that had done them all some sort of injustice.

Three years passed in a blur and they were at last beginning to corner their prey. They went their separate ways to train and hone their powers, vowing together that they would bring him down. Naraku would not escape this time.

And unbeknownst to eighteen-year old Higurashi Kagome, her life would change unpredictably very, very soon.

* * *

Not many knew, but there was an island hidden beyond the clouds in the sky, simply floating there, buoyed by the rush of energy constantly flowing through its rich soil. Population: the famed Ice Maidens, or _koorime_, whose tears were known to crystallize into rare jewels that sold for millions of human dollars. Currently, there appears to be crisis occurring on the island thanks to the birth of a demonic baby _boy._

That's right, it was forbidden to produce male offspring; for, like their name suggests, the Ice Maiden population was composed entirely of females.

And yet, with the celebratory birth of another Ice Maiden to join the ranks of the females on the island, so came with her a red-hot, loathsome demonic baby boy with wide, almond-shaped eyes filled with endless depths of malice. He was, in fact, so troublesome that they had to wrap him in a baby blanket and bind him with seals to prevent themselves from being burned.

His mother named him Hiei, and his sister became known as Yukina.

Here we see the crisis unfold before our very eyes...

A horrid, despairing shriek split the air, screaming and screaming for her baby. The distraught Ice Maiden fought violently against her struggling captors, yelling herself hoarse as she attempted to reach the lone Ice Maiden standing at the very edge of the island, cradling the little bundle of evil that she was so desperate to take back. Hina, the new mother, and Rui, the criminal who _stole her baby_, though friends at first and enemies now, were trapped as marionettes dancing to the tune of the Elder. Rui had been burdened with the task of ridding the island of the demon boy, but Hina had found out. A valiant struggle thus begun, and now it would end.

Rui bowed her head, the remorse clear within her eyes. "When you come back to this island," she whispered to the baby Hiei, "please, kill me first, for I must right this wrong I am fulfilling." She handed the baby a tear-crystal on a necklace (his mother's tear from birth) to remember them; to remember this place and his past with it. She then let the bundle fall, watching it with eyes she hoped appeared dispassionate, though she was overflowing with guilt.

"_**Hiei!"**_ screamed the mother.

She fell mysteriously silent as she watched the bundle disappear out of sight. The blank look she wore at the moment was extremely unnerving to the Ice Maidens who had kept her from snatching her child back. There were no tears. There was no weeping. There was no sobbing. Not even a single hiccup. Just blank, cold, soulless eyes staring listlessly at the snow at their feet, the mother shattered in mind and in soul.

Just then a brilliant blaze of blinding golden light burst out from in front of them, bringing the baby back up to the island. The present Ice Maidens watched in unconcealed awe as a beautiful mystical being solidified from the light, long tendrils of flowing platinum blond hair whipping around her lithe figure, clad in layers of complex white robes. The demon baby gently came to rest in the cradle of her arms, his eyes falling shut as her aura soothed his warrior's spirit. She then directed an ice-cold gaze towards the awestruck Ice Maidens standing at the edge of the island, gliding forward effortlessly, weightlessly, to deposit the slumbering babe into the arms of his mother. Hina held him close, tears of relief leaking out from her eyes as she whispered over and over "thank goodness, thank _goodness_ my little Hiei is safe."

"Please explain the meaning of this," said the irate maiden curtly. "Why have you voluntarily tossed away one of your brethren?"

"He is not an Ice Maiden," replied Rui as bravely as she could, directing her shamed gaze to the snow below their feet.

The mythical being regarded her carefully. "You did not want to do this," she stated.

"No," answered Rui softly, scuffing at the snow like a child who was being punished for a naughty action. "I was directed by the Elder to carry out this order."

The woman scoffed. "Elder, ha! Shriveled old bags never know what's good for the clan," she muttered. "In any case, that child is not safe on this island, in the presence of such cold-hearted _hypocrites_."

"How dare you!" shouted one of the Ice Maidens who had formerly held Hina captive. "Who do you think you are?"

"Yeah!" chimed in the other Maiden. "First you insult our revered Elder, then you call us hypocrites! We have done nothing to warrant such... such claims!"

"You preach about loving and caring for all of your fellow kinsmen, and yet you immediately take action to discard a babe just because he was produced as a result of one of your members fornicating with a demon? You would tear him and his sister apart because they are different? Likely, that Ice maiden sister of his also has demon blood coursing through her veins! And yet you attempt to shield her!" roared the woman with such ferocity that the two Ice Maidens took a step backwards in fear. "Have you no shame?"

"Wait," interjected Hina quietly. "Are my children unsafe here? What are you planning to do with them?"

"I have found the perfect candidate to be the substitute mother for your children. You will be wholly satisfied with her," said the woman, waving her hand lightly.

In the sky appeared multiple pictures of a beautiful young female: long, shining black hair, steely chocolate eyes, a slender womanish figure, form-fitting warrior's clothes, and lastly, a bow and a quiver of arrows. The only problem that the Ice Maidens could see was that...

"She's a _human,_" remarked one of the Ice Maidens incredulously.

"I assure you, she is no ordinary human," said the woman firmly. "This young lady became the guardian of the famed Shikon no Tama at age fifteen. She is now eighteen, and she and her comrades have begun to prepare for their final battle against the great evil that dominates this country."

The Ice Maidens gasped. "She's the guardian of that cursed jewel? How brave!" cried one of them.

"But if she is preparing for the final battle against this evil, as you say, wouldn't my children be in danger if she were to care for them?" inquired Hina nervously.

"Oh, rest assured that battle will not be happening for at least another six months," replied the woman in amusement. "In any case, humans seem to have a very delightful trait that will guarantee the safety of your children: when they have someone to protect, they will become stronger and surpass their own limits so they can protect those people. This girl will definitely keep your children safe. You needn't worry about them."

Hina bit her lip uncertainly, emotions warring within her with ferocity. On one hand she wanted to keep her children with her, both of them, but she did not want them to be ostracized by the other denizens for their heritage, which they had no control over. On the other hand she could voluntarily give them up to be raised by a human priestess, where - wait a moment. Her children had demonic blood. Their supposed new guardian was a _miko._ Wasn't their job to purify demons?

As if capable of reading her thoughts, the woman answered, "Don't fret, I am not here to send your children to their executions. Higurashi Kagome is not an ordinary priestess; she is not biased against demons she views as allies. Your children will not be purified." Hina relaxed from her tense stance at those words. She made her choice.

"I will give them to this human priestess, though in return I ask that in the future they may be allowed to return to the place of their birth so that I may see them again with my very own eyes," she said, standing up to prepare to fetch her infant daughter from her home.

"Very well," said the woman, giving her a nod of consent. "I shall inform her for you."

"Thank you," said Hina, smiling thinly even as the tears threatened to stream from her eyes. She blinked to hold them back, so as not to appear weak. She quickly ran to her home and found a waiting Ice Maiden with a wailing Yukina. The mother hurriedly took her precious baby daughter back, soothing her with a few well-placed caresses and a quick kiss to the exposed nose. The girl hiccupped once, quieting down in her mother's familiar embrace. Hina's heart clenched as she thought back to her decision, but she forced herself to move out of the house and back to the cliff where the angelic being was waiting.

"Here," she whispered, handing her baby daughter to the woman, who gently settled the bundle of blankets next to Hiei's sealed cocoon. The demonic boy gurgled quietly when he felt the familiar presence of his twin sister next to him.

The woman touched Hina on the head lightly. "You will see them again one day. I'm sure of it," she said. "Take care of yourself. May you lead a prosperous life." The woman vanished into thin air, taking the two children with her. Hina stared a while longer at the empty space. She felt a prickle behind her eyes.

Finally, she allowed her tears to fall, the spherical gems plopping and rolling on the icy ground beneath her.

* * *

The gods hated her.

That was what one Higurashi Kagome believed at this current moment in time. The day started off rather nicely, with tiny blooming buds springing forth on the thin branches of the trees, surrounded by lush green leaves that dominated the thick canopies. The sky was clear and stretched itself out above them, a vast ocean of never-ending blue. The air was warm with sunlight, abuzz with the abundance of sheer life. She had thought it could've been one of those days she could just sit back and relax. But of course, she couldn't have been more wrong.

First, some idiotic demons decided that she looked like a tasty snack. Well, they wouldn't be bothering anyone anymore. Secondly, a mischievous little boy in a nearby village ran off with her backpack. Oh, she'd given him quite the talk when she'd caught him and took her bag back. Third of all, a demon she fought pushed her into the mud. That one definitely suffered her wrath for a long time before she killed it. And lastly, she found out that she was out of matches, so if she wanted to make a campfire she would have to do it the manual way. How she'd raged after that!

Now she was strolling down this lovely dirt road and gazing around in awe at the beautiful scenery, while simultaneously waiting for another horrible thing to strike her and make her day even worse. In fact, she could feel it coming. It was going to happen right about… now -

A bright golden light flared to life above her just as she finished her mental countdown, leaving her to yell in her head about having to be right. She dipped into a fighting stance as she prepared to face a horrible evil demon that would burst forth from the golden light. But she was surprised when an angelic woman with long, flowing blond hair descended from the bright light. She was holding two bundles.

"Higurashi Kagome," spoke the woman, her voice seeming to echo in their very surroundings. The very air vibrated with the intensity of the power and magic that the woman radiated from her being. Kagome shivered. "You are hereby ordered by the Lord of Heaven to adopt these two hybrids as your foster children. The Lord believes you are the best choice as a guardian."

Kagome blinked, stupefied. Her brain had not yet returned from the world where it had run off to not many seconds before. "I… what? C-children?" she stammered.

The woman nodded, a solemn look on her face. "I have taken the liberty to remove these two from their former home, seeing as their clansmen are a group of biased individuals who promote tradition and shun abnormality," she explained. "The Lord felt it would be unfair for them to grow up in such hostile environments, and thus has delegated the task of transferring their guardianship to a more suitable person to me. Will you take on these poor children, Higurashi Kagome?"

Kagome took a moment to weigh the pros and cons. She would absolutely love to take the children, especially after hearing a shortened version of their sob story, but on the other hand, she didn't want to expose them to death and violence so soon. After all, the final battle with Naraku was going to happen soon. If she died, they would once again be motherless, and she couldn't bear that thought. Well then, Kagome told herself, you just better not die. Easier said than done, she sniped. What about Shippou? He is also a child who has been forced to survive on his own at a young age. But these two are infants; mere babes compared to the child Shippou was. Oh, what to do!

"I will take them," she decided firmly. "And even though I believe myself unfit, I will do my best to raise them in this war-torn world."

"Excellent. I bestow upon you the guardianship of these children," said the woman. "However, their true mother wishes that one day she will be able to see them again. She loved them very much, and regretted deeply that she would be unable to raise them."

"I will ensure that their true mother will be able to see them once more," replied Kagome.

The woman gave her a bright smile, and gently held out the two bundles. Kagome noticed with suspicion that one of the bundles had seals plastered all over the blanket, but once she had the bundle in her arms she realized why. This baby was a hybrid fire demon. But if he was half fire-demon - why didn't the other bundle have seals on it? The woman gave her the second roll of blankets, and Kagome was taken aback by the cool, icy demonic aura that washed briefly over her. This baby… it couldn't be!

She knelt to the ground, carefully setting the hybrid fire-demon down, before sliding away the white covers that hid the unsealed baby's face. A round head with fuzzy teal-blue hair greeted her eyes. The baby girl sleepily opened her eyes a bit, exposing their foggy color to the world, before she closed them again. Kagome was shocked. Her eyes were red; deep, demonic red. She laid the cover back over the baby's face.

These children were hybrids between a fire demon and a _koorime._ How on Earth had _that_ happened? As far as she knew, the hidden island of the Ice Maidens existed far beyond the limits of this realm. For a demon to reach that far, and fornicate with a sacred maiden in the process… it was nearly unthinkable. Yet, here was the proof in front of her. The sealed baby had felt warm and demonic. The other one had cold energy emanating from her being. They were twins born to an Ice Maiden and a fire demon. She didn't know how, but it had produced two living, breathing, fully functional children. The woman's words now made sense, about not wanting them to grow up in a prejudiced place. The sealed baby (she'd go out on a whim and say it was a boy) would likely have been brutally murdered or tossed off the island itself. How cruel!

"What are their names?" she heard herself ask the woman.

"The boy's name is Hiei. The girl is Yukina," replied the mysterious woman. "Take care of them, Higurashi Kagome. Thank you…" And with those last parting words she vanished in a burst of golden light, leaving behind a determined eighteen-year old girl holding two demonic infants close to her. She would definitely care for them. She promised.

* * *

**What's this? A rewrite? You bet! This story of mine has a ton of reviews, but I feel so bad for not writing it anymore because I ran out of ideas. Yeah, I'm trying to juggle multiple things. Yeah, I'm like three, almost four years older than when I first wrote this story, holy fucking crap. Well… it's a start. I'll see if I can get some revising done this weekend, but I also have to finish writing the next chapter for MAtU. Man oh man. But I'm just so happy right now - I got accepted into a college! Hooray!**

**Prologue - revised on March 9, 2012**

**Dear readers, please stay tuned for (hopefully) the next revised installment of A Miko Mother. Thank you.**

**MangaFreak15**


	2. Chapter 1: The Group's Whereabouts

**A MIKO MOTHER**

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**Ch. 1 - The Group's Whereabouts**

* * *

The months passed in a blur full of crying babies, power flares, and ambushes by pathetic minor demons that had nothing else to do but hide in the bushes and wait for innocent passersby to walk past them. If she recalled correctly, there was that one butt-ugly brute with a huge pimple (or was it a wart?) on his rather flat nose that stuck out like a sore thumb. She had fun popping it. The demon ran away screaming as its self-proclaimed handsome image was ruined by the burst pimple. Hiei had thought it quite an amusing spectacle and gurgled that little baby laugh that made adults fawn over you until you fell asleep. He wanted to see more funny things, Kagome imagined.

So they went hiking through the woods where vines grew like prepubescent weeds on crack. Kagome almost tripped over a stuck-up root more than once, but caught her balance before she could fall flat on her face (and, in the process, saved the twins from becoming little more than demon pancake on the ground. That would have been miserable). Just as she reached a curve in the road, out jumped a weasel demon. It brandished a lethal silver scythe. Kagome, of course, just held out her hand and blasted the demon to kingdom come. It was horribly easy, but it had apparently been funny, because Hiei giggled like the baby demon he was. Yukina followed after him, though she had no clue what just happened to make her brother laugh like that.

Kagome approached the scythe, which had fallen to the ground when the demon disintegrated. She marveled at the surprisingly beautiful handiwork, the little swirling designs lightly etched across the pole, the smooth surface, and the dark curve of the blade. She squatted down, careful not to jostle the two babies too much, and picked up the scythe. It wasn't particularly heavy, but it had enough weight that she had trouble holding it in one hand for a few minutes. She smiled and decided that she would take it. She thanked the dead demon for his contribution, even if it had been rather pathetic. Now all she had to figure out was how to carry it.

Luckily for her, she would have time to train since Hiei and Yukina grew very quickly. Demonic children aged differently than human children, so about three months after she received guardianship she started to teach them how to walk. They were already starting to crawl around a little bit when she put them down.

Kagome stood at one end of a large clearing. The children sat at the other end. She beckoned for them to both attempt to walk over to her. Walk, not crawl. Hiei stood on unsteady feet, wobbling towards her. He nearly fell a few times, but being the determined child that he is, it just fueled his resolve. So he toddled towards her, balancing when he nearly fell because of his big head, and finally made it to her. She cheered and he gave her a victorious baby grin. She turned her attention to Yukina. The teal-haired child looked unsure that she could do it. Kagome encouraged her to do her best. So Yukina stood on shaky legs and slowly made her way over, one step at a time.

She tripped on a small rock and fell to the ground. Kagome was about to rush over to her to see if she was okay, but Yukina started to stand up again, a little dirtier but otherwise fine. She wouldn't let some rock beat her. She toddled over, careful not to trip over any more rocks, and collapsed into Kagome's waiting lap. The miko cooed at her, brushing the dirt off of Yukina's clothes. The two children smiled at the praise she gave to them and snuggled up to her. She was warm.

* * *

_Crash!_

A gigantic green centipede demon burst through the trees, letting out a horrible screech as it searched for nearby humans to prey upon. The poor, innocent vegetation fell before the might of the ugly demon, spirits of the earthly realm screaming as their lives were cut short. The demon paid no heed to the broken trees. It was too busy looking for defenseless morsels to feast upon to satisfy its rumbling stomach. Human blood was the best.

It found two human women and a human child picking herbs not too far away. The women screamed in fright, grabbed the child, and made to get away from the demon as fast as they could. The demon was too quick for them, its great speed surpassing that of the humans'. It plunged down to the earth, bearing down upon its helpless prey.

"_Hiraikotsu!"_

A swishing sound rang through the air, ripped through the trees with ease. They fell in halves, bemoaning their fates. The swishing sound continued; an invisible blade cutting through the very air, too fast for the naked eye to see. The centipede demon stood no chance. Its long body was sliced and diced into thirds before it could react. Its large head, menacing in its visage with its foot-long, wicked pincers curved around its mouth, impacted the ground with a meaty thud. The other pieces of its body collapsed, bringing up a miniature dust cloud along with them. The two women and the child quickly ran from the gruesome sight, hearts pounding from fear and anxiety.

They came upon a mysterious figure not too long afterwards. This person had long dark-brown hair tied into a high ponytail, brown eyes glittering within a face hidden by a black mask over the mouth and nose. A silver gas mask was tucked underneath the person's chin. The person wore a skin-tight black body suit with pieces of pink armor strapped to important places such as the elbows, shoulders, knees, and stomach. A vivid red sash was tied around the person's waist, holding a white sword with purple patterns across the hilt. A round bulge protruding slightly from the person's chest identified the entity as a woman.

A tiny cream-colored cat with two tails rode comfortably on her shoulder. The woman had a giant boomerang in front of her, which she was swiftly wiping clean of demon guts. The two women realized that the boomerang must have been the weapon that had killed the centipede demon back there, so they walked to the woman and bowed their heads to her.

"Thank you very much for saving us."

"You're welcome," replied the mysterious woman. "Now go on back to your village."

The trio nodded and hurried back, eager to spread the news about a strong woman who defeated demons with ease. She had helped to protect the village, so she should get a reward in return.

"Let's go, Kirara," said the woman to her cat. "We have other places to see."

By the time the women returned to the area with the village headman to give the woman her prize, the woman and her companion were long gone.

* * *

_Clang!_

A silvery arc danced through the air, the sunlight bouncing off the sharp, curved blade. Its movements flowed like liquid water, fluid and slippery. It rushed downward in a speedy slash, only to be parried by a strong golden staff that jingled under the force of the blow. The staff twirled, knocking the blade away with lightning movements. It thrust forward with the intent to skewer, but the staff came from above and knocked its tip to the ground.

"Very good, Miroku," praised a young woman holding the gleaming silver blade. She had long, thick reddish-brown hair that was pulled up into a bun behind her head. Her eyes were a wondrous shade of jade-green. She wore a simple black fighting outfit, which was loose enough that it would not restrict her movements in battle.

At this current point in time, she is Miroku's temporary mentor. A year ago, he came to her seeking to gain the strength and power necessary to be able to protect his friends when the final battle with the great evil came to pass. She'd thought he was admirable for desiring only to get power in order to defend his friends and companions, instead of solely for himself. So she had decided to take him in to train him in her style of fighting arts. In the beginning it was slow going since he didn't have much speed, strength, or reaction time. He also needed to learn how to fight effectively without continuously relying on that Wind Tunnel in his palm. She sealed it up with a special sutra that could only be removed by her. She was pleased to note that Miroku started to think about using it less and less as the months passed.

Now, one year later, he was a powerful young warrior with great speed, strength, and beautiful reflexes. His body had toughened up to deal with rough attacks and also poison. With that Wind Tunnel, he had a lot of trouble dealing with poison, but she had found a way to help him gain immunity to most of them. He had thanked her a thousand times over. He hadn't seemed to notice, but he did not think about using the Wind Tunnel even once during their practice sessions.

Though she was more proficient with a sword, she helped him hone his control over the monk's staff he carried around. He could now wield it with grace. They had taken to sparring for a couple hours every day, to sharpen their skills and up their stamina levels. Miroku, especially, needed the stamina in order to fight long enough to protect his friends.

"I suppose you'll want me to take the seal off of your _Kazaana _now," she said, moving forward. Miroku stabbed the end of his staff into the ground for support as he held out his bound arm to her. He nodded. Her slim fingers, deceptively womanly with their sleek paleness, touched the seal that closed off the Wind Tunnel. She murmured something beneath her breath, and black chains seemed to fall away from his arm. The ink binding unraveled. The seal cracked and melted off into thin wisps of smoky substance, before it vanished altogether. Miroku was left with an arm that was free of the binding seal for the first time in a year. Considering all the training he had, he probably might forget he even had a Wind Tunnel in the first place. Oh well, it was his last resort any way.

* * *

He could sense the energy in the air; that faint song and scent that could only belong to a demon. It was coming close. To the left? No, he could hear footsteps off to the right and behind him. It was nearing. Heavy footfalls indicated a demon that was larger and taller than average. It didn't matter; he would kill it anyway.

Closer…

_There!_

He whirled in the direction that he perceived the demon to be in and swung his sword in a powerful, downward slash, releasing the energy stored in the blade, "Kongousouha!" Even if he didn't see it, he heard the sound of hundreds of objects flying through the air with great speed. They embedded themselves into his target, for he heard several thuds against a meaty body. A bellow of pain, and a desperate strike. He dodged to the side, feeling small bits of debris bounce off his cheek. He retaliated with a rotational attack. A loud cry indicated that his sword had met flesh. Liquid flecks fell upon his face, but he ignored the sticky sensation. He had a demon to kill. It smelled like iron.

He thrust his sword forward, hearing the blade pierce through soft flesh, smelling the heavy odor of blood in front of him. With as much strength as he could muster, he single-handedly swiped the sword up while it was still in the demon's body, cleaving through skin and bone, tearing through the squishy insides with ease. The blade exited the demon, and he leaped back to avoid the spray of blood that burst outward. For a moment there was silence, and then he felt the air move. He stepped to the side. Not a moment later, the body thudded to a halt to the earth, bringing up a small dust cloud into the air. He removed the blindfold secured over his eyes to view the results.

The demon had been quite big. It was a one-eyed ox demon that was dark-brown in color, and had a small beige loin cloth tied around its private parts. It wasn't much to look at now, considering he had gutted it like a fish. Not to mention all those mean-looking diamond shards poking out from various parts of the demon's body like pins in a pin cushion. Viscous purple blood leaked out from its numerous injuries, staining the ground with an unhealthy, poisonous color. Well, he'd killed it fair and square. He turned around, meeting the narrow eyes of his mentor.

"How's that, Seichi?" he asked, flicking his sword off to the side to rid it of blood. Seichi stroked the small goatee he sported, twirling the thin gray hairs at the end.

"You did very well, young pup," he said. "However, you didn't kill that demon with a single shot. How much power did you put into that first attack?"

"Not that much. Maybe about a tenth?"

"A tenth!" snorted Seichi. "Pup, you're underestimating your opponent too much. Put some muscle into it! Now, one thousand swings up, one thousand swings down, one thousand swings left, and one thousand swings right."

"What a slave-driver!"

"Shut up if you know what's good for you or I'll make you do two thousand of each."

"Gulp..."

* * *

After walking a while down the road, Kagome found a nice place to rest. The grass was warmed by the sunlight, the air filled with small flitting butterflies. Hiei followed them with his large, almond-shaped eyes, fascinated by the tiny, beating wings and the spectrum of colors that flew around his head. Kagome herself sat beneath a large sycamore tree, breathing in a sigh at how nice the shade felt after a few hours out in the sun. Yukina huddled by her side, her red eyes blinking sleepily. Her head nodded.

Kagome was about to lean back against the trunk in order to take a quick rest, but the large demonic aura that flickered at the edge of her senses made her eyes snap open. Who was there? She hoped she wouldn't have to fight; she needed to regain some of her energy first. If worst came to worst, she would pick up the twins and run for the hills. She tensed as it approached them.

A man appeared down the road, fine silver hair flowing lightly in the wind. His eyes were a very cold shade of gold that could rival even Sesshoumaru's in color. He wore a plain white outfit, the top exposing part of his muscular chest. The silver ears twitching atop his head drew her attention. He was almost like Inuyasha, except that this man also had a very bushy silver tail that swished behind him, and it was very clear that he was a full demon. He appeared to have something on his shoulder.

As he came closer, she saw that it wasn't 'something' on his shoulder, but 'someone.' Or, more specifically, a very familiar fox child with burnt orange hair tied behind him with a blue bow. It was longer since she'd last saw him.

"Kagome!" he shouted gleefully when he saw her. He leaped off the man's shoulder and dashed towards her. He nearly jumped upon her, but forced himself to stop when he caught the wide twin gazes of two very curious toddlers by his surrogate mother's side. One had red eyes and teal-blue hair that just framed her face. Cute. The other had red eyes and jet-black hair that stuck out from his head like a stiff black flame, with a small tuft falling over his eyes that had a white outline. How scary.

The mysterious male demon strolled up behind him at a leisurely pace, smirking. Kagome narrowed her eyes at him, but refrained from impulsive action because this man was not exuding any aura that suggested he meant harm. He had even brought Shippou to her. The fox kit had appeared very comfortable riding on the man's shoulder, so that had to account for something. Judging by appearances, she'd guess he was a fellow fox demon who took Shippou in for training.

"Hello, Miko-sama," he said smoothly, his voice like warm honey. Kagome refused to blush at the tone. Instead she watched him with wary eyes; watching for any signs of attack or malice. He continued, "The little fox kit has been under my tutelage for quite some time. He wanted to return to you."

Shippou tugged on her sleeve eagerly. "He's super strong," he told her. "He can pick seeds out of his hair and summon huuuuge plants with them!"

Kagome raised a delicate black eyebrow at him. "So you fight with demonic plants. How unusual," she remarked, "for a fire user like Shippou to be taught by a demon that specializes in man-eating vegetation."

"True, I am gifted with plants," said the male demon. "Shippou is likely a breed from a fire-based clan, which is why he can use the _Kitsune-bi._ However, I am no youngster; I am well aware of what constitutes as power and what is lacking. Just because I use plants does not mean I cannot teach him how to control fire. You must understand, Miko-sama, that while there is a fine line between specialization and natural ability, it can be crossed."

"You're quite cold, _Youkai-san,_" replied Kagome, her lips curling into a challenging smirk. "How do I know you are just shooting words out of your mouth?"

"I'm hurt that you think so little of a high-class demon like me," said the male demon, pretending to clutch at his chest in agony. "The pain!"

Kagome rolled her eyes at him. "Drama queen," she muttered.

The demon blinked at her, clearly confused. "What's a 'drama queen'?" he asked. "You aren't insinuating that I'm female, are you? I'll have you know I'm a prime example of what a fine male fox demon should be -"

"No, you pompous moron," said Kagome, resisting the urge to slap him upside the head. "I meant you're being overly theatrical in your antics."

"Theatrical? I was merely attempting to be humorous with you, Miko-sama," retorted the demon. "Clearly you are lacking in that department."

"And it appears obvious to me that you do not understand human sarcasm," answered Kagome dryly.

"Touché," admitted the demon. "Say, do I have your permission to use your real name? Calling you 'Miko-sama' all the time will get quite tedious."

"Give me yours first."

"How devious, Miko-sama. Very well, I am Youko Kurama," said the demon, smiling charmingly at her. "Shall we journey together from now on?"

"My name is Higurashi Kagome, and I would be delighted to have a companion with such a sharp wit," replied Kagome, returning the smile. She grasped his hand and shook it vigorously, after which she told him it was a human tradition where she came from, because he looked bewildered.

And so it began, the three innocent children bearing witness to the moment all huddled together at Kagome's side, fast asleep.

* * *

**So here's the rewritten version of chapter one. My God, it is a thousand times better than the old version. I compared them constantly, even down to the word count. The format is mostly the same (Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha, Shippou), but each section is longer than the sections from its predecessor. Also, I changed them a little bit. In the old version, they were so short I wanted to cry at their horribleness. I drastically changed the end scene for this chapter; instead of Youko and Kagome discussing Shippou, Hiei, and Yukina, I had them exchange a quick banter to "test the waters," so to speak.**

**Also, 'youko' actually refers to the Japanese term for a demonic fox spirit, but I just added it to his name so I wouldn't confuse 'Kurama' with 'Minamino Shuichi.'**

**If you liked the old version, I encourage you to read this newer version. And review if you haven't yet. Please? Haha.**

**Chapter One - revised on March 14, 2012**

**Updates will be sporadic. You should all know that by now.**

**MangaFreak15**


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